<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Stoats are Good at Waiting by atwas</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26865271">Stoats are Good at Waiting</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/atwas/pseuds/atwas'>atwas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fallen Empires (Web Series), Internet Remix</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, If I write it that means it's canon right?, M/M, One-sided Korellian Veles/Trevlon Bluequill, pre-Civil War</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:01:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,884</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26865271</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/atwas/pseuds/atwas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Moscha, the times the party is away (and the times they are not).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Korellian Veles &amp; Moscha, Korellian Veles &amp; Trevlon Bluequill</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stoats are Good at Waiting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Moscha still wasn’t completely sure what happened in Murdil. The travel on the way there wasn’t bad. Korellian was perhaps a bit more anxious than usual, but that wasn’t too strange. After all, Korellian was always anxious. Besides, the two other Kobolds who travelled alongside the party were nice. Zutzag gave very good scratches, and Korellian really liked Snalgu; so naturally Moscha liked both of them as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The night ambush was different though. Moscha had flinched at Korellian’s terrified mental orders to Stay and Be Safe and Don’t Fight. Even while everyone was being led away, Moscha bristled and snarled at the strangers who tried to approach her. It wasn’t until the party had faded from her awareness that she allowed the strange Kobolds to convince her to stand down and follow them into the city.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>All in all, Kobolds were pretty nice, Moscha figured, as she spent her time in the makeshift stables. The two Kobolds in her charge who cared for the Horse and the rest of the belongings knew how to take of a Stoat. Of course, she was treated as a Queen, which was only proper. The city was odd, and the glass roof above the place perplexed her when it rained, but waiting in strange cities was something Moscha was quite good at. So she settled in to wait, as she usually did when her People were off doing whatever it is they did when they travelled to strange cities.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luckily it didn’t take long for them to come back. Moscha felt Korellian as soon as they were close enough, and his happiness was infectious. Yes, the two Kobolds were nice. Yes, they treated me well. She felt his sheer relief as he nuzzled into her neck fur the way he always did and made that purring noise. He was still scared though. She could feel it under all of the happy thoughts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That wasn’t too strange. Korellian was often scared. It was smart to be scared, she figured. The weak are scared of the strong. The prey is always scared of the hunter. Fear keeps things alive. She just didn’t understand why Korellian didn’t understand that he was the predator. Even small things can be dangerous.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then again, seeing a Dragon in his thoughts was enough to make her feel like a kit.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite the Dragon, her People returned. Momo was quiet, Malafein was tense, Korellian’s thoughts felt like a thunderstorm, and the smell of death clung to Thavagath and Trevlon. Her People were all exhausted, but that wasn’t too strange. They were always exhausted on the way home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The journey over the gulf had been quick, and it had been a little cramped, but Moscha didn’t mind too much. Sailing was boring of course, and everything smelled like salt to the point where her fur felt a little stiff from sea spray, but once the boat set off onto open water everyone breathed a sigh of relief.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was nice to be back at Battenrance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kobolds were probably her favourite people, Moscha decided. They knew how to properly treat her. Once the party returned to the manor, she had been brushed and fussed over by Chickenbait to her satisfaction. She easily commandeered Korellian’s bed as well--which was only proper, as it was far too large for him alone. She liked being close to him, and he felt safer when she was there anyways.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had scarcely been back two days when she felt Korellian ping her. She had been out hunting in the nearby forest, and as soon as she got close enough to the grounds, he called out to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We’re leaving.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leaving?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We have to go back to the city.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She broke into a trot, and didn’t bother trying to make heads or tails of the images and names coming from Korellian. All she felt was the tension, and by the time the party left the manor, she was feeling it from everyone else too. She silently agreed with Korellian’s thought--it was very soon. Not enough time to rest.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was just as perplexed as Korellian was once they all stopped in the rain by the dead hanging thing. She didn’t recognize it until they approached, as it smelled more like blood than Okiti.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The party began talking about the thing, and Moscha felt a flash of impatience from her Kobold while they waited.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Don’t understand. It’s a dead thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Korellian took a deep breath and idly combed a claw through her neck fur. She felt him silently agree. The others cut the dead Okiti down from the tree, and it landed in the grass. They were upset. Trying to find out why and who and how come. One of them mentioned that it should be buried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why bury this one? Moscha wrinkled her nose. We hunted Okiti. Okiti hunted you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I don’t know. I don’t even recognize this one. They’re a stranger to me. It’s unusual, but I don’t know why everyone’s being so damn sentimental over this poor bastard--</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Moscha felt Korellian’s thoughts come to an abrupt stop as Trevlon asked to use the pick. Korellian gave Moscha a light pat and clambered off his spot by her shoulder-blades to retrieve a digging pick and begin to help dig. So Moscha settled down at the base of the tree, out of the rain, and watched her People bury the stranger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You make no sense. Why are you helping now? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She felt a little better when Korellian flicked his ear at her accusatory thought, and she felt his embarrassment. She waited and watched them finish the grave, all while the air smelled more and more like lightning.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The streets of Port Myrandu were quiet. The scent of fear was thick in the air, too strong to be overpowered by the rain. Moscha noticed that Malafein would tense as movement caught his eye, but it was just people scurrying indoors and seeking shelter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The streets were familiar enough at this point that Moscha knew them like she knew her own paws, but them being this empty was enough for her to know something was wrong. She sniffed the air but it still just smelled like storm. There was something else. Something was coming. The fur on her neck bristled a bit under Korellian’s claws. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The party made it to the tavern, and Moscha apprehensively paced around her People as they spoke before they went inside. Her tail bristled. The door man smelled Wrong. He acted Wrong. Moscha knew Korellian knew, and if he knew the rest must too but they still decided to enter the place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door swung shut behind her People as they entered. Just like any other time they entered the tavern, Moscha settled down to wait. She shook the water from her fur and curled up under the awning of the building.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was good at waiting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stared at the door man. He didn’t like it when she stared too long at him, but this time he didn’t move. He didn’t notice. He looked straight ahead. Moscha bared her teeth. He was like a rabbit that still stared and blinked after its neck was broken.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rain began to drum against the awning, and Moscha could feel Korellian’s fear from inside the tavern. Her ears flattened against her skull, and she began to pace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her questioning thoughts went un-answered, and she felt Korellian’s fear escalate into blind panic and then something else. Something cold and still. She paused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Korellian?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Be ready to run.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door man stiffly opened the door and let someone out before stepping inside. It swung shut. There was a crack from inside and Moscha began to smell smoke underneath the rain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The person who stepped out looked at Moscha. Its black eyes narrowed and its appendages writhed as it stared at her, appraised her. Under its icy stare, she realized that this alien creature was a hunter. Perhaps it was the most dangerous predator she had ever seen. She cowered and pressed herself against the rough walls of the tavern, her eyes fixed on the creature and she bared her teeth in fear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The creature passed by and vanished into the downpour.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tavern behind Moscha shuddered and cracked. There was a rush of pressure before an explosion from the inside shattered the glass windows. Moscha sprang back into the rain, and she fixated on the door. Around her, the streets began to come to life, as if waking from a deep hibernation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tavern door finally swung open, and out of the halo of flame, Thavagath dragged the body of the door man onto the street before charging back inside. The roof began to splinter as licks of flame climbed the walls and caught under the eaves where it was still dry. The tar on the roof ignited before, once more, Thavagath dragged two more people into the rain and away from the building before going back inside.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The roof began to cave in as the strong beams that held it up began to buckle and snap. Moscha keened, broadcasting her fear as she paced in the street, staring at the tavern door.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, the rest of the party made it out. Thavagath stumbled out into the street, streaked with ash and sweat. Malafein darted out just afterwards and brushed some embers off of his coat. His face was grim and his white hair was dark with soot. She had never seen an expression so dark on his face before. Trevlon ran out: his momentum carried him out into the street and under the rain, and he was closely followed by Korellian and Ari, the lady who had helped them hunt the Rats. After a heartbeat, Momo followed, his feathers were singed and his eyes were beginning to tear up from the smoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The party stepped back into the street as the tavern began to crumble. The dark smoke roiled into the sky despite the downpour and, finally, the building collapsed in a heap of stone and burning timber.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Korellian leaned heavily on Moscha, and she felt his claws twine tightly into her fur.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her People spoke quickly. They were frightened. Ari spoke as well. Furious. Moscha’s ears were still ringing from the collapse of the building, and the conversation was starting to get too fast for her to follow--especially with Korellian’s thoughts still feeling so cold and livid, but he turned to her as the conversation came to a swift end.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We need to fly fast Moscha.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her fur bristled and she sent an agreement back to him. Korellian gave Trevlon a boost onto her back, and she immediately felt his hands clutch at her fur to stay steady. She didn’t mind. Korellian climbed onto her back and settled into his spot by her shoulders. The other three were already running full tilt to the docks, with Momo flying above them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Journalism Guild</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Moscha acknowledged with a growl and sprang forward into a sprint. The smell of fire and smoke gave way to the scent of static as a clap of thunder sounded across the city. They were off before the first barrage of cannonballs began to hit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The city began to come to life in violence and smoke.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>